Busted: New York Times’ Seelye Reprints Obama’s Talking Points

Oct 15, 2008

RUSH: I want to go back, ladies and gentlemen, to this little joke I made at the top of the hour. The Obama campaign sent out debate talking points before the debate. They sent the talking points out about 11:17, or even earlier than that. They sent the debate talking points to the media. In other words, they sent the media talking points to explain what will happen in the debate tonight before the debate has happened. Well, it turns out that if you compare the Obama talking points with an article by Kit Seelye in the New York Times about tonight’s debate, you find amazing similarities. Now, we’re not surprised at this, but still, I open my mouth in wonder at it. I know I shouldn’t. I should know by now that the Obama talking points are nothing more than press releases and talking points for New York Times and Washington Post articles, but this is amazing.

By the way, the talking points, again, were sent out by the Obama campaign, some flack at the Obama campaign; and we’re going to juxtapose some of the talking points with what Kit Seelye said in her story, ‘What to Watch for During the Final Debate.’ Talking Point: ‘This is John McCain’s last chance to turn this race around…’ Kit Seelye, writing in the New York Times: ‘Tonight’s debate provides Senator John McCain with his last, best hope of reversing the tide that appears to be running against him.’

Talking Point: ‘John McCain has been erratic and unsteady since this crisis began… [McCain’s] erratic response to this economic crisis doesn’t [sic — does?] disqualify him from being President.’ Here’s what Kit Seelye wrote: ‘His behavior during the current crisis … appeared to have the effect of undermining voter confidence and driving away independents.’

Talking Point: ‘Just this weekend, John McCain vowed to ‘whip Obama’s you-know-what’ at the debate, and he’s indicated that he’ll be bringing up Bill Ayers to try to distract voters.’ Kit Seelye, New York Times: ‘Mr. McCain has already vowed to ‘whip’ Mr. Obama’s ‘you-know-what’ tonight.’

Talking Point: ‘So we know that Senator McCain will come ready to attack Barack Obama and bring his dishonorable campaign tactics to the debate stage.’ Kit Seelye: ‘The downside of Mr. Ayers for Mr. McCain is that it could reinforce the notion that he is more preoccupied with political tactics than addressing the main topic on voters’ minds — the economic meltdown and the collapse of the value of their homes. The Ayers question aside, watch for the degree to which Mr. McCain dials back his attacks, as he has on the campaign trail.’

So, the New York Times got the talking points message. It’s a little New York Times doing Joe Biden impersonation: Kit Seelye with near plagiarism of the Obama campaign talking points about the debate tonight.